*Abdul Latif Jameel Health’s mission is to accelerate affordable access to healthcare for those who need it most, utilising innovative health technology in Nigeria and other countries in the Global South

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Abdul Latif Jameel Health, part of international diversified family business Abdul Latif Jameel, has announced a new distribution agreement with iSono Health, a medical technology company in San Francisco, USA.

The objective of the agreement is in line with the vision to transform breast care with automated imaging and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The group, in a statement issued Tuesday, January 30, 2023, on the partnership, announced on the first day of Arab Health 2023, the Middle East’s most influential healthcare event, will see Abdul Latif Jameel Health become the exclusive distributor of iSono Health’s ATUSA scanner in the Global South, making it available to hundreds of millions of women in an initial 31 countries covering the Middle East and North Africa, Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

The organisation stated: “The female-founded iSono Health is transforming breast imaging with a first-of-its-kind, compact automated whole breast ultrasound system featuring a unique wearable accessory and an intuitive, intelligent software for automated image acquisition and analysis.

“The patented and FDA cleared ATUSA system is a compact ultrasound scanner that captures 3D images through automated scanning of the whole breast in just two minutes, independent of operator expertise.”

Abdul Latif Jameel Health also explained the device connects to laptop or tablet for real-time image acquisition and 3D visualisation; the data is transferred to a secure cloud for storage.

According to the group, the ATUSA system is designed from ground up to seamlessly integrate with machine learning models that will give physicians a comprehensive set of tools for decision making and patient management.

Maryam Ziaei, PhD, Founder and CEO, iSono Health, said: “This new partnership is a significant milestone in our history and an important step forward in making our ATUSA scanner accessible to millions more women across the world.

“Working with Abdul Latif Jameel Health will empower so many more women to access the healthcare they need, to improve patient experiences and to bring peace of mind.

“We have been able to develop a scanner which takes two minutes to scan and makes breast imaging painless and convenient.  We’re very much looking forward to bringing this technology to the region and making a lasting, sustainable impact.”

Referencing the World Health Organisation (WHO), breast cancer is the world’s most prevalent cancer; one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Specific benefits of the health system to consumers

Access to personalised and efficient breast imaging is critical in every step of patient journey from screening to detection to treatment, surgery, and monitoring.  The ATUSA system is designed to offer enhanced efficiency, consistent accuracy, and a comfortable patient experience, therefore, making 3D breast ultrasound imaging accessible to patients and physicians at point of care, around the world.

The agreement will see Abdul Latif Jameel Health distribute the ATUSA scanner across the Middle East and North Africa as well as African markets, including South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, in addition to South Asia covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, and Southeast Asian territories of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and Brunei.

Akram Bouchenaki, Chief Executive Officer, Abdul Latif Jameel Health said: “Working with Maryam Ziaei, and Shadi Saberi, co-founders with PhDs in Engineering, and the whole iSono Health team has made it clear what a perfect synergy we share in our vision to improve access to healthcare, eliminate the disparity in health equity across the world, and how using state of the art health tech will help us achieve these goals.

“Their ATUSA scanner is one of the most innovative pieces of technology I have witnessed in my career, and I know it will very soon become one of the most valuable products used by physicians and for healthcare systems.

“This is an important moment for those in medical imaging but more importantly for women’s health across the Global South.”

Besides, Abdul Latif Jameel Health, in 2022, announced the creation of its new international commercial ecosystem, helping to accelerate access to modern medical care and drive health inclusivity across the Global South.

The network of confirmed partners will cover key markets across a wide geographic area and will see on-the-ground distribution of Abdul Latif Jameel Health approved products into hospitals, clinics and medical institutions to fast-track health inclusion for those who need it most.

Akram Bouchenaki added: “At Abdul Latif Jameel Health, we are delivering on our promise of offering an integrated ‘one-stop’ managed service to medical devices, pharmaceutical products, diagnostic and therapeutics manufacturers to afford them multi-market access more rapidly than they could manage individually.

“We will distribute their products to the populations that can most benefit from them sooner, meeting unmet medical needs, driving healthcare inclusivity, and in parallel, opening the unrealised commercial potential of these markets.”

Since its launch in 2020, Abdul Latif Jameel Health has developed strong relationships with renowned health partners utilising innovation and industry disruptive approaches to deliver healthcare in more efficient ways.

Partners include Butterfly Network, EQRx, Cyberdyne, Evelo Biosciences, Melody International, Holoeyes Inc., and now, iSono Health.

Abdul Latif Jameel Health was created as a response to the ongoing global disparity in access to modern medical care, focusing on accelerating healthcare inclusion across the Global South.  Reflecting the Jameel Family’s long-established commitment to innovating for a better future, Abdul Latif Jameel Health works in the commercial environment to address tangible real-world needs today, for a better tomorrow.

It works with partners from around the world to open and grow new markets for distribution of existing solutions and investing in the future of MedTech.

About Abdul Latif Jameel Health

Backed by Abdul Latif Jameel, one of the most respected diversified family businesses and investors with a 75-year heritage, deep roots, and established networks alongside a multi-sector presence in 30 countries across six continents, Abdul Latif Jameel Health is uniquely positioned as a trusted partner in realising major innovations and opportunities in the healthcare world.

It reflects the Jameel family’s long-established commitment to innovating for a better future through Community Jameel, an international organization supporting science and technology-led solutions to global challenges.  Community Jameel and MIT co-founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health (Jameel Clinic) in September 2018 – which has rapidly become the very epicenter of AI and healthcare at MIT – and the Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics (Jameel Institute) co-founded with Imperial College London, in October 2019, using novel data analytics to reduce global risk of preventable disease most recently including the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and strengthening health systems in the most fragile settings.

Abdul Latif Jameel Health takes this commitment into the commercial environment addressing tangible real-world needs today, for a better tomorrow.

It is focused on health care inclusion in the global south, accelerating access to modern medical care for those who need it most by opening up/growing new markets for distribution of existing solutions and investing in the future of MedTech.

The Jameel Investment Management Company (JIMCO), actively invests in innovative, early-stage and breakthrough ventures and technology, aiming to positively shape the future of core industries driving the global economy through its’ investments that span medical and healthcare industries, from pharmaceuticals and vaccines to cutting-edge medical technology, along with emergent technologies across FinTech, InsurTech, electric vehicles and future mobility solutions.

Likewise, iSono Health was co-founded by two female engineers with PhDs who shared similar personal experiences with the inadequacies of current breast cancer screening that sparked the passion to find a better way for detection of breast cancer and management of breast care.

iSono Health’s mission is to make personalised whole breast imaging accessible to all women worldwide.

iSono Health has an experienced team with extensive experience in medical imaging and AI.